SKM sets up 5-member panel for talks with govt
NEW DELHI: Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has formed a five-member committee to hold talks with the Government of India (GOI), informed Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Saturday.
The committee will comprise of Balbir Singh Rajewal, Shiv Kumar Kakka, Gurnam Singh Charuni, Yudhvir Singh and Ashok Dhawale, said Tikait.
While speaking to reporters after a meeting of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Saturday, Tikait said, “SKM has formed a 5-member committee to talk to the Government of India. It will be the authorised body to talk to the Government.”
“The committee will have Balbir Singh Rajewal, Shiv Kumar Kakka, Gurnam Singh Charuni, Yudhvir Singh and Ashok Dhawale. Next meeting of SKM on December 7 where we will submit our agenda,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Tikait had said that the talks between Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and farmers, which was held on Friday, remained inconclusive.
On November 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Centre will bring necessary bills in the Winter Session of Parliament beginning later this month to repeal the farm laws.
The Prime Minister also said that the government will constitute a committee to work on a new framework for Minimum Support Price (MSP).
Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha passed the Farm Laws Repeal Bill on the first day of the winter session on November 29. President Ram Nath Kovind has also given his assent to the Bill that completes the process of repealing the three farm laws.
The SKM called off a planned tractor march to Parliament on November 29 and said that it would wait until December 4 for the Union government to formally respond to its demands, which it had stated in an open letter to the Prime Minister.
Farmers have been protesting against the farm laws on various borders of Delhi since November 26, 2020.
Tikait calls for state-wise compensation
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait has called for state-wise compensation and employment for the kin of farmers who lost their lives while agitating against the farm laws.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Tikait said, “Our demand for minimum support price (MSP) is from the Government of India. The talks have just started, we will see how it goes. We won’t develop any strategies today, we will only discuss how the agitation should move forward.”
Tikait further said that the talks between Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and farmers, which was held on Friday, remained inconclusive.
“Talks between Haryana CM and farmers yesterday remained inconclusive, although they have agreed to take back the cases registered against farmers. Like Punjab, we need state-wise compensation for deaths of farmers and employment,” he added.
THE COMMITTEE WILL COMPRISE OF BALBIR SINGH RAJEWAL, SHIV KUMAR KAKKA, GURNAM SINGH CHARUNI, YUDHVIR SINGH AND ASHOK DHAWALE, SAID RAKESH TIKAIT